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Friday 30 November 2007

Jo Jo's "Too Little, Too Late" and Duncan James's "Amazed"

These were two of the videos we studied in class. Both would repay study and be a focus for developing your skills in film language, narrative,intertextuality (especially, "Amazed")and representation: ideology (particularly power), class, race, gender and age. Consider also each star's image and the audiences that each video is trying to reach. Try also to apply the two theories by Kress Van Leeuwen and Andrew Goodwin. Consider, too, voyeurism and the representation of the young women in terms of power and the presentation of their bodies and sexuality.





Music Videos - Amazed

Robbie Williams's "Madonna"

Try analysing this music video using the multi-modal theory of Kress Van Leeuwen and that of Andrew Goodwin. Robbie took a risk with this video on how his image might have been represented in the press.

Like other music artists before him he risks criticism with his subject matter. He offers a parody of celebrity culture and intertextuality with Madonna. He also gives a post-modern (self-conscious and self refencing)representation of his past hits and image. His mention of "multiple personalities" points towards a sophisticated representation of his image past and present in this unusual music video.Consider also the lyrics of the music video.

Here's another music video to analyse by Madonna: "Like A Prayer".

This music video was criticised by various church groups in the late 1980s. Being risque comes with the territory for artists whose music videos challange the existing boundries of public taste when their videos were made. It would develop your skills to have a go at analysing it for Representation: ideology, class, age, sex, race and with Andrew Goodwin's theory.

"Open Your Heart" by Madonna (A2)

Madonna's video, "Open Your Heart" was shown during Longroadmedia's BFI course for Music Videos on The Southbank by The Thames. It's very useful for applying Andrew Goodwin's theory on music videos, particularly as it has voyeurism at its core. Another feature common to music videos past and present is the fragmented representation of the female body.

Here it is again so you can apply the Goodwin's theory to this video and a music video or programme that you are may be using for your case study. Find Goodwin's theory on this Blog to apply his theory. Notice also this music video's homage to Liza Minelli from the movie, "Cabaret"(intertextuality).

Madonna - Open Your Heart via Noolmusic.com


Get Video Code For YouTube Music Videos 80s 90s - Madonna - Open Your Heart

Tuesday 27 November 2007

Headings for researching your case studies for the New Media Technology paper

The Audiences and Institutions Paper

New Media Technology Case Study Headings

Make sure your list of key words helps support many of your points where appropriate under these headings. You can either produce a PowerPoint or a Blog to represent your research. Devote pages to each heading after doing your research.

1. Give a detailed description of the technology that you are researching.

2. What is this new media technology’s history? (Give a brief history)

3. Explain your chosen new media technology’s uses and applications (that is, what it can do and the various ways in which it can be used.)

4. Identify the producers (institutions) of this NMT and explain who has hegemony in the market. (You will need statistics, sales, countries, the companies’ reach, the NMT’s models and how they vary in how they are used and their appeal, etc.)

5. What are the issues for this NMT? This will depend on the NMT. For instance, can it be used illegally; are their different competing technologies for the same NMT. For example, think about how consumers need to make the right decision on Blue Ray DVDs as buying the wrong format may be expensive in the long run. Consider related issues.

6. Who consumes the technology? Who is expected to use and buy it? (Audiences) intended market? How are consumers targeted by advertising?

7. Future developments? Where is the technology going? What can we expect to see happen to this technology in future? For instance, will there be more convergence?

Presentations will take place after half term. You will be given a lesson and a slot in which you give your presentation as either a Powerpoint or a Blog.

Monday 26 November 2007

Music Programmes on TV: the main study areas for your case studies


by Dog.

An Ideology map: important for AS and A2

One of the key ways to understanding Representation is to consider ideology. Remember that Representation means how Gender, Race, Age and Class is represented in the media, including the films and programmes that you study.

Sport and the Media: an example of a critical research plan

For A2 students, by Dog.

How To Carry Out Critical Research - Spidergram

For A2 students studying for the Critical Reasearch paper. Unit 2734, by Dog.

Censorship and Film: a graphic with issues to consider

For A2 students studying Censorship and Film

Action Adventure Genre Conventions


For AS students by Dog.

Sunday 25 November 2007

Adrew Goodwin's Method of Analysing Music Videos

Andrew Goodwin’s music video analysis

Andrew Goodwin writing in ‘Dancing in the Distraction Factory’ (Routledge 1992)

This amounts to what Andrew takes to be the defining characteristics of music videos.

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics
(e.g. stage performance in metal video, dance routine for boy/girl band).

2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals
(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

3. There is a relationship between music and visuals
(either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).

4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work (a visual style).

5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body.

6. There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc).

Here's a good music video to analyse

KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See". Why not try "seeing" whether Andrew Goodwin's theory ( his definition) of music videos holds water here? Remember that you can only write about theories by applying them to the artists and/or TV programmes that you are studying in your case studies for the Media Issues and Debate unit 2735: Music Programmes on Television.


KT grew up in St Andrews and went to school at Madras College. I studied in St Andrews myself in the early nineties when KT was probably still at the same College. Funny how paths cross!